More than one Challenge
by Alyson Bledel
Summary: James tells us how he felt, and how he finally went out with Lily. When he saw that she wasn’t a challenge? How he made her believe him? It has something different in the end, I swear! Oneshot!


A/Note: Hey!!! I wrote this fic in Portuguese. It gave me a lot of work to put this thing in English. I have a beta, so don't worry. Please leave a review since I want to think that my work wasn't for nothing!!! Is a Brazilian song of Nando Reis, if someone get curious…

**More than one Challenge**

Faz muito tempo, mas eu me lembro você implicava comigo.  
Mas hoje eu vejo que tanto tempo me deixou muito mais calmo.

O meu comportamento egoísta, seu temperamento difícil.  
Você me achava meio esquisito, e eu te achava tão chata.

(It was a long time ago, but I still remember

You use to be mad with me

But today, after so much time I am calmer

My selfish behavior and your hard temper

You thought I was weird

and I, that you were annoying)

That's the way we began... I was a proud marauder, and Lily one redhead really stressed, studious and with a big heart. We use to argue a lot, and our discussions, for Hogwarts, were memorable and famous. There was no way to be different. We were popular. I was a proud marauder, and Gryffindor's seeker. She… Well… She was popular for her beauty, intelligence and a really hard temper. Neither of us cared about argue in our loud voices, so the whole school knew about us. But beyond so many fights there was a felling. And wasn't hate.

Soon I had the idea of ask her out (we were at the 5th year, by the time). It wasn't really a surprise for no one the "no" I got as an answer, except for me, of course. I had already gone out with some girls (actually, a lot). And no one had ever said no to me. Although we argue a lot, I though that you wouldn't say no to me. That would be o.k. to you... I am a dreamer. Maybe, if I hadn't messed up with Snape's potion, the answer could be different.

But what really matter is that after this, I decided to go out with that pretty redhead. And I wouldn't rest 'till I showed to everyone that nobody can say no to the charming James Potter. She really was the biggest challenge that I had. And since she said no for the first time, I really did try to go out with her (or take her for a walk… Anything...) I asked her out almost every week. And almost every week I got a different "no" as answer. Lily is quite creative about saying no to me.

I really wasn't happy about it. We only argue and fight!!! (It was funny, but wasn't what I wanted, though.)

Obviously, while she kept saying no to me, I went out with other girls, because I was a teenager, and I wanted to have fun. But after some time it wasn't fun anymore… I wanted Lily. I wasn't able to see anything special in the others. None of them was like Lily. I still remember Sirius making fun of me. That stupid dog didn't rest for one minute saying that was beautiful to see a deer in love (Stag!! Stag!!! I tried to say. Unfortunately Padfoot never listen to me), and that was a shame a marauder loving… I denied, and said a lot of times that Lily was just one challenge. There was a time, which he said to me that if Lily was just a challenge, Dumbledore would dance Can Can to McGonagall every night. Definitely wasn't one of his best jokes, but was what my best friend/half brother told me. However I tried to refuse it to Padfoot, by baby steeps I discovered that Lily Evans was much more than one challenge (Sirius find out before me, and that's one of the reasons that he is my brother…). I knew that I was in love. And I knew that she also was, but she did not tell for anyone.

Then I started to invite her every day. So she started to say no to me every day too. And we continued arguing a lot. She still kept saying that I wasn't mature, that I was selfish, and idiot that only thinks about himself, and a lot of others bad adjectives, definitely not affectionate. Sometimes I ask my self how I could like a girl so annoying. Better, I don't ask, since she is so sweet, beautiful, good and brave that any possible bad thing about her disappears when I look at her. She might not be nice with me, but she was really cool and warm (with everyone else). It proved that she liked me to. Moony said a lot of times that I was completely crazy. And I know that I was. I was crazy about her.

When we went back to school, in the 7th year, I knew that would be a really important time. My only thought was "If she doesn't accept me this year, I might never see her again". I also have to say, that I became more responsible. And I stopped to hex most of students. Snivellus was hexed like before, but never in front of Lily. Sirius wasn't happy about this change, but was a relive to Remus "I always doubt it!! But the day you two met sense finally happen!! You could find more sense, but I'm happy already". Because I still was James Potter, and had to show the world the reason I was a marauder.

It was almost impossible that she had not seen. But the answers to my questions still were the same. "She only needs more time, to be sure that I am changed. If wasn't this little detail we were boyfriend and girl friend already". I use to say, pretty confident, to my friends. But was more than that. My change was not enough to her. She would not go out with me only because I was different. She was really stubbornly. After so many years "hating" me, she couldn't say yes to me. Lily was (and still is) really mulish

I needed to do something. However, I didn't know what. Sirius told me to kiss her, she wanting it, or not. Remus said that I should try to be romantic. Peter wasn't able to suggest nothing better then chocolate. Honestly anything that I would use. If I kissed Lily against her will, I would spend weeks in a hospital. Her angry would be huge… More than anyone can express. In addition, be romantic never would work with her to. She would certainly think that I'm a liar that only wants to play with her. Would ask me if I'm drunk, or something like that. And if my smiles and words didn't work, wouldn't even worth try chocolate.

I finally decided that I would speak with her, alone, without a bunch of people trying to picture how she would despise me in the day. Without anyone looking at us, to me use a little bit of Remus advice, and with lucky, (if the first one work) Sirius advice too. I truthfully liked more the second one.

So, I was looking forward a day that I saw her studying alone the library. Actually I didn't wait a lot. Lily has the library as second home. I set next to her, with a book on the hand too. At the moment I thought that library was a wise idea: she couldn't shout with me. Either throws me stuff. I opened my book, and started to leaf through it. She even notices me. Or if she did, she didn't say anything. Then I started to look at her... And stood there, only seeing how beautiful she was. She wouldn't perceive if the world had exploded by that moment. It was like she was in another world. Nothing could affect her. And I was so concentrate looking at her, that I didn't see the time going on, or her finishing the book.

She looked at me kind of scared (I don't blame her… She finished the book and there I was, really next to her with a stupid face). For a moment I didn't knew what to do. I also started to swear my self because the last thing I needed was act like an idiot in front of her. I had spent the last 30 minutes looking at her, without think in anything useful. She asked me what the hell I was doing, with a bit of apprehension and a lot of strictness in the eyes.

I stutter a couple of answers. I took a deep breath, took control of my self, since stutter wouldn't help, and said that I was wondering if I should or should not bother her, asking her to go to Hogsmead with me.

For any reason, I was really hopeful this time. But judging by her face, the answer was the same as always. Then, before she say no to me, I asked her. She did that strange thing with the eyes, rolled them (she uses to do a lot to me), whisper something like "Oh no… Not again". I looked kind of tired to her, and told her, that I use to get a lot of "no", but I didn't know why, though. And also said that the old answer, when she started to swear me until I get exhausted and stop her, couldn't be use anymore, because I was changed, and improved in many ways, and it was impossible that she hadn't saw.

She gave me a fun smile. I made a metal note that was the first time that she smiled for me. But what came after wasn't really pleasant. She simply said that she wouldn't go out with me, because I was (am) Potter. My face turned to red… Of angry!!! Was really unfair of her say that she wouldn't go out with me, because I was me!!!

It was true that for other boys wasn't really difficult to go out with her…. Anyway, I looked at her deeply in her eyes, with all my angry, and without think twice, got out of the library. It was o.k. to me if she said no again, but that way was unfair, and truly upset me. I couldn't think on anything better than "She will see… No one can say this to me". As if I could do something against her.

Well, I almost got out of the library. When I was next to the door, I felt a hand in my shoulder. I turned to see who it was, and there was a serious Lily looking at me. We stood for some moments looking each other on the eyes. I concentrate my self, to not get lost in so much green. I impolitely asked what she wanted. And she answers me with a question. "Why you want so much me to go out with you?" .My tired face was back. I asked her if it wasn't too obvious. She laughed and said that if it were, she wouldn't be asking. She also said that thought that she was a kind of challenge for me. I looked to the floor.

"I am officially an idiot. And I deserve that". It was my first thought. I was mad at me for everything had started like that. Then I looked at her again, and said, really fast, without even breathe.

"Don't be silly. You aren't a challenge for me anymore. You are more than a challenge. I wanna go out with you because I really like you".

I think that for some reason I shocked her. She definitely wasn't expecting nothing like this as answer. Her face changed of color. I think she was ashamed. She is gorgeous when she is ashamed. Well... I'll stop because by now I'm looking like an idiot. So I asked her about Hogsmead again. She gave me a wonderful smile, while she said that she would be waiting me at 9 o'clock am, in the common room. I gave her my best smile (and I know that my best smile is truly GOOD!! Actually my best smile is everything).

Them she was going back to her table, when she turned to me, and said "Don't dare you to do with me what you do with the other girls, understood?? If you lie to me, you will regret the day you were born, James Potter!!!! I will make you suffer". My smile showed all my happiness at that moment, and I bet it told her that I would do everything to don't lose her. I never had a small smile, but that day, I think it was huge!

Anyone can imagine the rest of the story. We went out, started to date, and after a while we graduated. Today I'm really pleasant to say that she accept to marry me. Well, you already know that, since this is an engagement party. I think that I may over speak... But this is the speech of the engagement toast to my beautiful fiancée. My redhead deserves this. Lily, I really love you. A toast for the most perfect woman in the word!!!!

**James raised a glass of champagne and all the gests did the same. Lily was smiling with some tears in the eyes. This was one of the most specials days of her life.**


End file.
